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Original fileS. Leo IX P.O.M
About This Work
The print shows Pope Leo IX seated within a canopy-covered litter, surrounded by horsemen and attendants in a rolling landscape. In the background, a large church stands atop a fortified hill overlooking a city, representing a site dedicated by the Pope. The foreground features detailed figures of travelers and a dog, rendered with the precise linework characteristic of the Prague imperial court.
Created by Aegidius Sadeler, the primary engraver to Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, this work reflects the Rudolfine court's interest in the intersection of imperial history, German hagiography, and sacred topography. It illustrates the concept of 'action at a distance' through divine grace, a theme that resonated with contemporary Neoplatonic and hermetic interests in spiritual influence.
Inscriptions(Latin)
S. LEO IX P. O. M. Absens pontificis crucis almæ dextra tropæo Dedicat inscriptum dextra Leonis opus. Quid faciat præsens, absens cum talia possit? Est Deus in sancta præsulis ipse manu. Qui rerum dominum, cæli terræq. potentem Conuiuam meruit sanctus habere suum Tergeminum maius Germani sanguinis heros Antistes fecit relligione decus.
Translation
S. LEO IX P. O. M. Absent, with his right hand, the Pontiff dedicates The work inscribed with the trophy of the life-giving cross of Leo. What would he do present, when absent he can accomplish such things? God Himself is in the holy hand of the prelate. He who, a saint, merited to have the Lord of all things, Potent in heaven and earth, as his guest, A hero of triple-fold German blood, The High Priest made this ornament with his religion.
Connected Texts
Rudolf II
Aegidius Sadeler served as the court engraver for Rudolf II in Prague, where he produced works that integrated Catholic piety with the intellectual atmosphere of the imperial court.
Collections
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
width 156 mm x height 220 mm
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.